Chapter 16: What’s the Matter? Don’t You Want Him to Live?

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Pang Xu now wished he had died just moments ago. Hearing so many secrets, if anything went wrong, he would be the first to lose his head.

“I also have a few loyal warriors,” Xue Yingxue added. “They are all highly skilled fighters; infiltrating the army will pose no problem.”

Outside the palace, the sun had completely dipped below the horizon.

The pitch-black night shrouded the imperial city, as if foretelling the coming storm of bloodshed.

When Dongfang Jibai stepped out of the palace, darkness had already fallen, with only a streak of crimson lingering on the horizon.

A palace attendant saw Dongfang Jibai emerge and scrambled over, voice trembling, “General, Miss Ji is in trouble.”

Dongfang Jibai furrowed his brow. He remembered that when he left, Ji Ci was still like a little fox—how had she suddenly become a grown woman?

His gaze darkened, knuckles tightening silently within his sleeve.

He stared deeply at the attendant, unable to discern whether this was an enemy’s trick or if Ji Ci was truly in danger.

Though his heart churned with turmoil, his expression remained calm and composed.

“Explain clearly,” he said coldly, his voice as sharp as ice.

He had made too many enemies; no one could be allowed to know his vulnerabilities.

The attendant whispered, “After you left, Miss Ji ran out of the study…”

Before he could finish, urgency flashed across Dongfang Jibai’s face.

When he left, he had indeed locked the little fox inside the study.

Dongfang Jibai vaulted onto his horse, legs gripping the animal’s flanks. His dark cloak billowed in the twilight breeze as he vanished down the long street.

Meanwhile,

In the Fourth Prince’s villa, chaos reigned.

Ji Ci stood barefoot on the stone pavement, blood still staining her toes.

With one hand she clutched Xue Jing’s throat, the other gripping the long sword she had seized. Where the sword pointed, the guards dared not approach.

“I saved you, yet you repay me with betrayal and dare to capture me?” She tightened her grip, and Xue Jing’s face turned blue. “If anything happens to Dongfang Jibai, all of you will die with him!”

Ji Ci kicked a nearby guard flying, dragging Xue Jing toward the door.

The guards surrounded her, blades drawn.

The lead guard ordered an attack, and swords came down on Ji Ci. Carrying Xue Jing, she could not dodge quickly and took several cuts to her shoulder.

She sneered coldly and shoved Xue Jing forward as a human shield—

Xue Jing panicked, hastily calling out, “Stop!”

“Why? Don’t want him alive anymore?” Ji Ci said with a cold laugh, clutching Xue Jing and hurling him into the crowd.

“Your Highness!”

Amid the shouts, Xue Jing crashed heavily at the foot of the steps.

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He pushed himself up, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

“You little brat, do you know who I am?”

Ji Ci sneered back, “What? At your age, you still don’t know who you are? Want me to tell you?”

“Bold! This is the Fourth Prince!”

“Whatever prince you are, if you provoke me, you won’t survive.”

Ji Ci stepped forward swiftly, dodging blades and leapt up, severing the head of the guard who had been boasting moments before.

The head rolled across the ground, stopping before Xue Jing.

Crimson droplets dripped from the sword’s edge onto his collar.

Xue Jing stepped back several paces—this woman was truly mad!

Where on earth had Dongfang Jibai found such a lunatic?

Ji Ci let out a cold laugh, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

As she raised her sword again, the system screamed within her mind.

[Master, master, stop! Don’t kill him; he’s an important supporting character! You must not kill him.]

Ji Ci twisted her wrist and drove the sword into the blue brick before Xue Jing’s feet with a metallic clang. “Xue Jing, come here.”

Xue Jing frowned, feeling insulted—as if she treated him like a dog.

His face darkened; his hands clenched tightly.

He prided himself on his resilience, yet here he was publicly humiliated by this madwoman.

“If you don’t come over, I’ll kill everyone here!” Ji Ci raised her sword, clearly not joking.

“Wait!” Xue Jing gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

“Your Highness, don’t go near her. This woman is possessed by evil.”

“It’s nothing,” Xue Jing muttered as he approached Ji Ci, though his confidence waned.

He feared Ji Ci’s madness. His initial interest in her was not meant to spark enmity.

“Miss, I invited you here to repay a life debt. Why are you so angry?”

Xue Jing was flexible and pragmatic—truly a man capable of great deeds.

“Is that so? If you want to repay your debt, then give me everything in this courtyard as compensation.” Ji Ci’s smile did not reach her eyes.

“Fine, all of it to you.”

Xue Jing thought Ji Ci would take only the valuable items. He never expected her to pillage his entire estate like a marauding demon.

Ji Ci nodded, satisfied. “Not bad. You’re teachable. From now on, be my little brother.”

“Impudent!” the guards shouted angrily.

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Xue Jing’s face darkened. He admitted Ji Ci had some skill, but as a prince, he would never be anyone’s subordinate!

“Miss, what is your name? Jing humbly asks for your hand.”

Before he finished, the large vermilion gates suddenly crashed down.

Amid the dust, Dongfang Jibai stood sword in hand, his dark armor still damp with night dew.

“Ask for your hand? My men wouldn’t even let the Fourth Prince think of her!”

A fierce aura glinted in Dongfang Jibai’s eyes. His clothes were disheveled, clearly having ridden hard in haste to find Ji Ci.

Seeing Dongfang Jibai unharmed, Ji Ci’s eyes brightened. She ran toward him but froze when her hand brushed his sleeve—there was a faint scent of blood beneath his armor.

“Dongfang Jibai! You’re hurt?” Concern flickered in Ji Ci’s eyes, voice tight.

Had he still fallen out with the emperor?

The scenes of the raid from the book flashed before her eyes—he returned to the palace bearing wounds just like this.

Three days later, his whole clan was...

If only she could save his family, perhaps he would not turn dark.

Dongfang Jibai took Ji Ci’s small hand, stroking it gently.

“I’m fine. Tomorrow, I depart for the border. You will come with me,” he whispered.

Ji Ci’s eyes stalled. The border? The plot was different from the book.

Would the raid and slaughter still occur?

Her heart was uncertain.

Gazing at the new scar beneath his gilded forehead piece, she glared fiercely at Xue Jing.

If not for this fool stirring trouble, she would have stayed by Dongfang Jibai’s side.

She would not be so ignorant of palace affairs.

Xue Jing looked bewildered. He had merely ordered her capture.

This madwoman had already caused a scene, and he had agreed to compensate her—why did she still look at him like that?

“Dongfang Jibai, you led troops to storm my villa in the dead of night. Are you plotting rebellion?”

Xue Jing had no leverage over Ji Ci, but he was no pushover before Dongfang Jibai!

In his presence, he was a prince with a stiff spine.

“The Fourth Prince first abducted me, and now you twist the truth? Let’s go to the palace and have the emperor judge. If I am at fault, I will willingly go to the border to oversee the troops tomorrow,” Dongfang Jibai said with a smile. “I am ready to reflect in seclusion.”